New to curing

[cluckinchicken6]

I have cured and smoked a few thing successfully such as pops bacon buck board hams and bacon as well as dry curing pastrami. I have used tq as well well as #1 on a lot of meats. I have noticed that after the cure when I smoke meats the edges get cooked uneven and I was wondering if I tied using butchers twine before I add cure would help the meat to cure and cook more even. I recently tied after I cured and it seemed to help get a more even cook but I am still not sure about tying before curing meats I mostly dry cure with vacuum seals bags any advice would be helpful thanks

 

[chef jimmyj]

Tying definitely helps even cooking and even though you can tie before the use of cure #1 or TQ, I see no great advantage. Tying won't speed up the cure process...JJ

 

[cluckinchicken6]

10-4 jimmy yea i have a 14 day on 7 days off schedule so it leaves me with the perfect amount of time to go cure bacon and buck board hams I was wondering if tying had a negative effect on drycuriing meats using #1 or tq I usually leave everything in for the entire 14 days because I have little to no time to do anything with it while I'm working. But I was thinking a more cylindrical finished product would make for more even slicing, and I could fit more on a sandwich evenly

 

[chef jimmyj]

Tying for a uniform shape and a pretty sliced presentation is common. Before or after curing is up to you. The string will not affect the cure penetration...JJ